$139 NOOK Touch has a web browser, no rooting required

The Barnes & Noble NOOK Touch is turning out to be a pretty versatile machine for a product that’s pitched as a $139 eBook reader. The handheld device runs Google Android 2.1 and we’ve already seen that if you root the NOOK you can install third party apps such as Angry Birds. But it looks like you don’t even need to root the eReader to surf the web on the new NOOK. It already has a built-in web browser. It’s just hidden from view.

Here’s how you find it. Just hit the search button and type in a URL. The NOOK will open a web browser. Once it’s open you can enter another URL, click on links, or do just about anything else you need to do to navigate the web.

The NOOK Touch has a relatively fast screen refresh rate for a device with an E Ink display. But it’s still an eBook reader first and foremost. That means you’re going to be surfing the web in black and white, and you can forget about watching full motion video. But it’s nice to know that you can check your email or read the newspaper on the device without hacking it — although at least one user is reporting that while she can check her Gmail messages she can’t use the browser to reply.

And if you do feel like rooting the tablet you can also probably install third party apps for reading eBooks from Amazon and other stores that don’t use the same DRM scheme as Barnes & Noble.

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this is interesting.. maybe i’ll get the nook instead of the kindle..
does the kindle offer a browser too?

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I’ve played with the browser some on my Nook STR – while you can browse ok (seems buggy to me, but does work), I’ve not been able to enter text into anything but log-in (username and password) fields. Anything else and the browser closes and throws you back to whatever you were on before you used the search to pull up the browser.

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Click to flag and open «Comment Reporting» form. You can choose reporting category and send message to website administrator. Admins may or may not choose to remove the comment or block the author. And please don't worry, your report will be anonymous.

the kindle does have a web browser and it’s quite easy to use and pretty convenient when traveling. it’s limited and doesn’t do flash, but over all I’m pretty impressed with it.

Click to flag and open «Comment Reporting» form. You can choose reporting category and send message to website administrator. Admins may or may not choose to remove the comment or block the author. And please don't worry, your report will be anonymous.

nook browser sucks. you can’t scroll downward very smoothly or zoom in very smoothly. It takes forever to access it and it kicks you out of the browser. I understand why they hide it.

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